CSB544 Transition to the Clinical Profession


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:CSB544
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:CSB545 or CSH545
Equivalent:PUB862
Coordinator:Katie Green | k27.green@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

In this final year unit, you will develop an understanding of the legal, regulatory, ethical, and professional requirements, responsibilities, and guidelines for practice in the public and private health sectors. As pre-professionals you will combine administrative and organisational skills to ensure the protection and enhancement of patient and workplace safety in the delivery of high-quality, person-centred, culturally responsive health care services. Essential knowledge is applied to real world scenarios to prepare you for the transition to the responsibilities of professional practice. This unit prepares you for the workplace by ensuring you can make effective professional decisions that consider your legal and professional responsibilities as well as the context of the patient and workplace. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Make autonomous judgements regarding complex problems likely to be encountered in professional practice, integrating knowledge of principles of practice management, the health care system, including National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and ethical, professional and legal frameworks.
  2. Analyse, generate and communicate solutions to complex problems with reference to professional, legal and regulatory frameworks, demonstrating cultural responsiveness and person centeredness.
  3. Interrogate and resolve a range of ethical dilemmas using critical thinking, reflection and ethical decision-making skills; and
  4. Critically reflect on personal strengths and limitations to identify learning needs and develop evidence-informed plans for lifelong learning

Content

This unit encourages you to integrate the knowledge and skills obtained across the course with new information to prepare you for entry into the professional working environment. Key areas covered in this unit include: 

  1. Professional standards, regulations and requirements (including requirements for continuing professional development and culturally safe and sensitive practice)
  2. Ethics and ethical reasoning  
  3. Working within the Australian health care system  
  4. Principles of practice management (including information management, human resources, risk management and professional responsibility and compliance). 

These areas relate to AHPRA's professional capabilities for podiatrists. Podiatrists are registered with AHPRA who recognise these capabilities as the minimum threshold knowledge, skills and attributes needed to safely and competently practise the profession.

Learning Approaches

Real world scenarios will be explored and critiqued during interactive online class discussions to facilitate students' application of knowledge  and their development of complex problem-solving skills. Case study examples will be provided online to illustrate the effective application of these skills in private and public practice settings. Students will reflect on practice and consolidate skills to prepare for the transition to their professional practice.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative and summative assessment will be spaced throughout the semester to provide the opportunity for feedback on your learning to that point. You will be provided with feedback on your continuing professional development plan as you progress through the unit. Formative feedback regarding responses to practice theory questions and case scenarios provided progressively throughout the semester, will aid in your preparation for the oral presentation and end of semester exam. 

Assessment

Overview

This unit has three assessment items that will allow you to demonstrate achievement of the unit learning outcomes. The first item of assessment is a continuing professional development plan that will be submitted mid-semester. The second assessment item is an oral presentation towards the end of semester. Feedback regarding this assessment will help you prepare for you final assessment item, a theory exam held during the central examination period. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Continuing professional development plan

As a health professional, you will critically reflect on your own strengths and limitations to identify learning needs to prepare an action plan for ongoing professional development for the Podiatry Board of Australian to meet requirements for maintaining currency of professional practice following graduation.  

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 20
Length: 1500 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 4

Assessment: Presentation (Oral)

You will present a critical reflection and justify a solution to a complex issue relating to principles of professional ethics and practice management. You will need to utilise research skills to source relevant legislation, standards and evidence to guide and justify your ethical decision making. Class discussions early in the semester surrounding professional and case scenarios will help prepare you to complete this assessment task. 

Weight: 40
Length: 15 minutes
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 10 or 11
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 3

Assessment: Examination (Theory)

You will be required to use your knowledge and skills acquired in this unit to respond to short answer questions and evaluate and generate solutions to professional scenarios in a theory exam. 

Weight: 40
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Central Examination Period
Central exam duration: 2:10 - Including 10 minute perusal
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Learning resources will be outlined and provided throughout the semester via the unit Canvas site. Students are encouraged to curate and critically apply open educational resources from relevant and appropriate online sources.  

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Higgs, J., Jones, M. A., & Loftus, S. (2019). Clinical Reasoning in the Health Professions (4th edition). Elsevier Health Sciences UK. 

Kerridge, I. H., Lowe, M., and Stewart, C. (2013). Ethics and law for the health professions. (4th Edition). The Federation Press. (ISBN 9781862879096)

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Substantial computer-based work will be required and you will need to take care that you are working in a safe and ergonomically-sound environment (that is, avoidance of eyestrain, headaches, and physical stress on neck, back, arms and hands). Please consider your seating (heights, angles and distances) and the lighting in your work area (to avoid glare). The physical placement and organisation of peripheral devices, cables and extension cords should be managed to reduce danger to persons or property. Do not use unsafe electrical cords.